DEDHAM, Massachusetts (LifeSiteNews) — Attorneys for the disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick have officially requested the dismissal of the sex abuse case against their client because of “significant” and “worsening” dementia.
Laicized by Pope Francis in 2019, the former Archbishop of Washington is facing trial over allegations that he sexually abused a teenager whose family he knew at Wellesley College in 1974. The charges against him include three counts of indecent battery and assault on a person age 16.
“While [McCarrick] has a limited understanding of the criminal proceedings against him, his progressive and irreparable cognitive deficits render him unable to meaningfully consult with counsel or to effectively assist in his own defense,” his attorneys argued, per the Associated Press.
The 92-year-old McCarrick maintains his innocence, having pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. He has never admitted guilt for soliciting sex with adults and minors in the confessional.
Last month, McCarrick’s attorneys warned in a court filing that their client may not be “legally competent” to stand trial, citing the results of a December 2022 neurological exam conducted by Dr. David Schretlen, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Although the full exam results have not been made public, court documents indicate that McCarrick ostensibly suffers from “significant neuropsychological deficits.”
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